Cabinet structure



Dec. 25, 1934. c. M. ALLEN CABINET STRUCTURE FIG INVEN' I'OR. Elan d M.A11e n Patented Dec. 25, 1934 UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to cabinets andmore particularly to a'cabinet having pivotally mounted compartments. 7,

The principal object of the invention is to provide a cabinet having a plurality of pivotally mounted compartments which may be individually withdrawn, tilted, and even inverted, without disturbing the other compartments.

Another object is to provide such a cabinet wherein any of the compartments or trays may be withdrawn on its pivot and is adapted, in cooperation with the adjacent closed compartment, to remain in a' substantially horizontal and open position and wholly beyond the vertical plane of the front face of the other compartment.

Another object is to provide such an article which, because the trays do not withdraw in a stepped relation, takes up but limited space, even when the trays are withdrawn to fully open positions.

Another object is to provide such a cabinet having a plurality of pivotally mounted compartments, which may be as readily emptied and cleaned as is an ordinary cabinet having drawers or trays which-are attached in no way to the cabinet.

Another object is to provide such a cabinet, the compartments or trays of which, even when filled with relatively heavy articles such as bolts or nails, may be handled easily and the cabinet will not be apt to tip forward when the trays are withdrawn.

Another object is to provide such a cabinet, inexpensive to manufacture, having a plurality of compartments, swung on pivoted straps or the like and which, due to the novel pivoting arrangement, will not be apt to cause shearing or exces sive wear upon the'pivot pins.

In the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts thruout the several views,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the novel cabinet.

Figure 2 is a section substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 showing the withdrawal of some of the compartments of the cabinet.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper portion of the novel cabinet shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section of the cabinet showing a novel pivoting means.

Referring to the drawing, 5 is an elongate housing preferably comprising paralleling end walls 6 and 7 and a substantially horizontal top wall 8, bottom wall 9 and rear wall 10, which latter may or may not extend the whole length and width of the back portion of the housing. An extended base portion 11 is provided and the upper portion of the housing may be suitably ornamental as with moulding 12, along the front and ends. i

Dividing the housing laterally is a substantially horizontally disposed partition 13, providing a shelf as well as a closure for the top compartment of the cabinet when this compartment is in its normal or closed position. At either end of the partition 13 and extending. rearwardly from its front edge or face 14 and from the end edges or faces 15 is a slot 16 for a purpose later described in detail. Due to these slots, the partition 13 may be directly attached to the end walls 6 and 7 of the housing only rearwardly of the slots 16. However, the partition is well supported by a pair of elongate uprights 17 disposed just inwardly of the mouths of the slots 16 with the front edge 14 counter-sunk to accommodate their lower ends and with these lower ends suitably secured to the partition 13 as by nails 18. The opposite or upper ends of'the uprights .are preferably secured to the inner face of the moulding 12 in any approved manner. Thus it will be seen that these uprights provide for a vertical continuation of the horizontal slots 16. However, these uprights have other functions which will be set out later.

Along preferably both sides of the back of the housing is disposed a stop 19 limiting the rearward movement of the cabinet compartments.-

Now as to the compartments 20 which term is intended to include drawers, trays, tills and the like, the same are preferably providedwith paralleling end walls 21 and 22, a frontwall 23preferably slightly higher than the end walls, arear wall 24 paralleling the front wall and a bottom 25. Each compartment may, if desired, be divided by partitions 26. The length of each compartment is'somewhat less than the distance apart of theinner faces of the endwalls of the housing, and when in place in the housing the upper edge 27 of each front wall 23 is in abutment with the bottom edge 28 of the front wall 23 of the next upper compartment, while the upper edge 27 of the front wall 23 of the uppermost compartment abuts the bottom surface of the partition 13. It should be noted that in' the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, the housing has no front face, so called, but the forward faces 29 of the end walls 6 and 7, may

projecting moulding 12 having no function other than as an ornamentation. When in place in the housing, each compartment has substantially the same vertical plane for its front face.

Now as to the novel means for permitting forward swinging and tipping of the compartments, the same includes a pair of elongate pivot members 30 for each compartment. These are preferably constructed of metallic straps of a length so that when in place in the cabinet and hanging vertically from their upper pivoted connection with the housing, each extends from above one compartment 20, thruout the height of that compartment and to below the upper edge of the next lower compartment to which the lower end of the pivot member 30 is pivotally secured, as is clearly shown in Figure 2.

Each pivot member is provided with a perforation 31 adjacent its ends with the material removed to form the perforation turned or sloping inwardly and extending well beyond the plane of the inner face 32 of the pivot member as shown in Figure 4. This provides a somewhat hemispherical-shaped lug 33 fitting into a concave depression 34 in the outer faces of the end walls 21 and22 of the compartments and a similar depression 34 in the inner faces of the end walls 6 and 7 of the housing. A screw 35 or like means having a portion 36 snugly fitting into the perforations 31 and a head 37 of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the perforations 31, may be provided, as a pivot pin for each end of the pivot member 30. By the use ofthis construction, the weight of the compartments is not carried wholly by the pivot pins but by the housing walls about the depression 34, and there are also no edges to shear off or bite into the screws at their stems. The ends of the pivot members 30 may be rounded.

It should be noted in Figure 2 that the pivot members 30 overlap for a portion of their length. For this reason the space between the outer faces of the end walls 21 and 22 of the compartment 20 and the inner faces of the end walls 6 and '7 of the housing is at least equal to the thickness of two pivot members 30. The uppermost pair of pivot members 30 are positioned inwardly of the next lower pair, and since each pair trends slightly inwardly from its pivotal connection with the housing, no pair interferes with the adjacent pair. Of course the uppermost pair and the next lowermost pair of pivotal members 30 extend upwardly thru the slots 16, as can be clearly seen from Figure 2.

Knobs or hand grips 40 may be provided and extend from the front face of each compartment 20.

In the use of the novel cabinet, in order to withdraw any compartment from the cabinet, the compartment is drawn forwardly as is a conventional drawer, the compartment swinging on the pivoting members and describing an are as it is drawn forwardly. When clear of the plane of the front face of the housing and the adjacent compartment, this withdrawn compartment may be brought to a horizontal position and allowed to come to rest with its rear wall against either the outer face of the front wall of the compartment next above, or, in the case of the uppermost compartment, with its rear wall against the front edge of the partition and the. outer faces of the uprights. Thus, the uprights provide an abutment for the uppermost compartment when withdrawn, holding it in a rigid position, in conjunction with the forward or front edge of the partition. When held rigid, as is the uppermost compartment in Figure 2, the contents may be examined, withdrawn, or renewed.

By drawing any of the compartments farther forwardly than is the uppermost compartment shown in Figure 2, they may be turned completely over or upside down so that the contents are at once removed or the compartment emptied of undesirable accumulations. It is also seen that the compartments may be cleaned with water and then inverted in order to get rid of the water.

It is also apparent that the arrangement of the pivoting means is such that the compartments may be oscillated so as to shake and settle the contents or more readily locate the desired article carried by the compartment.

Due to the particular pivoting means, including the association of pivot pins and perforations, heavy articles may be carried in the compartments, and the broad base prevents forward tipping of the cabinet when the compartments are loaded with heavy material.

The two uprights also conceal, to some extent, the pivoting members extending into the space above the partition or shelf, this space being employed as desired to carry articles to be displayed, etc.

Various changes may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cabinet structure, a housing having an open front, a plurality of compartments arrange one above the other in said housing, each of said compartments having a front wall provided with an outer face and each of said compartments also having a rear portion, end portions and a bottom portion, and separate means connected to said housing and to each of said compartments to permit swinging of a selected compartment forwardly into a position where one of said portions of the compartment so swung abuts the outer face of the front wall of an adjacent upper compartment, whereby said compartment so swung is retained in a rigid open position.

2. In a cabinet structure, a hous ng having an open front, a plurality of compartments arranged one above the other in said housing, each of said compartments having a front wall and a rear wall, both of said walls having outer faces normally disposed in substantially vertical planes, means to prevent rearward movement of said compartments when in said housing beyond a predetermined distance, and means connected to said housing and to each of said compartments to permit swinging of any of said compartments, except the top one, independently of the others, into a position where the outer face of its rear wall abuts the front wall of. an. adjacent upper compartment which is in contact with said first named means.

3. In a cabinet structure, a housing having an open front and a partition extending substantially horizontally across the housing, a removable compartment normally disposed in said housing and at one side of said partition and having front and rear walls provided with outer faces, said partition providing a closure for said compartment and having an outer edge, and means carried partly by said housing and partly by said compartment to permit swinging of said compartment forwardly into a position where the outer face of one of said walls is in abutment with saidouter edge of said partition, whereby said compartment so swung is retained in a rigid open position.

4. In a cabinet structure, a housing having an open front and a partition extending substantially horizontally across the housing, said partition having an outer edge and a pair of slots extending rearwardly from said outer edge, a removable compartment normally disposed in said housing and at one side of said partition and having front and rear walls provided with outer faces and said compartment also provided with an open top, said partition providing a closure for said compartment, support means for said partition including a pair of uprights one disposed to one side of each of said slots and extending from said forward edge to said housing, and means carried partly by said housing and partly by said compartment to permit swinging of said compartment forwardly into a position with the outer face of one of said walls in abut- I ment with said uprights, including pivoting elements normally disposed in said slots, whereby said uprights have the dual functions of supports for said partition and stops for said compartment, to retain the latter in a rigid open position when swung thereagainst.

5. In a cabinet structure, a housing having an open front and a partition extending substantially horizontally across the housing, said partition having an outer edge and a pair of slots extending rearwardly from said outer edge and disposed at the ends of said partition, a removable compartment normally disposed in said housing and at one side of said partition and having front and rear walls each provided with outer faces, said partition providing a closure for said compartment, support means for said partition including a pair of uprights one disposed to one side of each of said slots and close adjacent the ends of said housing and extending from said outer edge upwardly to said housing, said supports being secured to said partition and said housing at their opposite ends, and means to permit swinging of said compartment forwardly into a position with the outer face of one of said Walls in abutment with said uprights including a pair of elongate flat pivoting elements each pivoted adjacent one end to an end wall of said compartment and each pivoted adjacent its other end to an end wall of said housing and one normally disposed rearwardly of and to one side of one of said uprights and extending thru one of said slots and the other pivoting element normally disposed rearwardly and to one side of the other of said uprights and extending thru the other of said slots.

6. In a structure of the class described, a housing having end walls and an open front, a plurality of removable compartments within said housing each having front, rear and end walls, means to prevent rearward movement of said compartments when in said housing beyond a predetermined distance, and means connected to said housing and each of said compartments to permit swinging of any of said compartments, except the topmost, and independently of the others, into a position where the outer face of the rear wall of the compartment so swung abuts the outer face of the front wall of an adjacent upper compartment which is in contact with said first named means, including a pair of elongate pivoting elements for each compartment, said pivoting elements being pivotally connected at one end to the outer faces of opposite end walls of each compartment and at their opposite ends to the inner faces of said end walls of said housing and in overlapping relation.

7. In a structure of the class described, a housing having end walls and an open front, a plurality of removable compartments within said housing each having front, rear and end walls, means to prevent rearward movement of said compartments when in said housing beyond a predetermined distance, and means connected to said housing and each of said compartments to permit swinging of any of said compartments, except the topmost, and independently of the others, into a position where the outer face of the rear wall of the compartment so swung abuts the outer face of the front wall of an adjacent upper compartment which is in contact with said first named means, including a pair of elongate pivoting elements for each compartment, said pivoting elements being pivotally connected at one end to the outer faces of opposite end walls of each compartment and at their opposite ends to the inner faces of said end walls of said housing and in overlapping relation, said end walls of said compartment being spaced inwardly of the end walls of said housing a distance equal to at least the combined thickness of two of said pivoting elements.

CLAUD M. ALLEN. 

